Sugar Care

This piece of candy cracked me up! How appropriate for my life!

There has been a lot of talk about cupcakes lately in my life. The creation of them, the eating of them, and, mostly, the sharing of them. I just celebrated my birthday on Monday (It was fantastic, by the way!) and the majority of my presents added to my already growing baking collection. Off-set spatulas, cupcake carrying case, and a beautiful cupcake cookbook.

My love of cupcakes is pretty well-known in my family and even my friends. If you know me, there is a good chance you have become a member of my test kitchen. Always good to have many members to test out cupcake creations such as this:

Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Curd and Cream Cheese Frosting

But, my love of cupcakes has a deeper meaning in my life. Right now, the creation of these cupcakes has become a way to support and surround a friend of mine. At the beginning of this year, her husband was deployed and we, essentially, adopted her and her family.

Once a week, we get together and bake to our hearts content. My husband jumps in and takes care of the kids while we reside in the kitchen for a few hours. He does this with great joy in his heart; his gift to her. We, meanwhile, mix, stir, bake, discuss, and, in the end, sigh with satisfaction as our creation comes to life. Each week we exclaim that this cupcake is even better than the last.

We keep building our play book of cupcake creations. Taking pictures and jotting down notes, so that ultimately, if our pipe dreams come true, we will have all our cupcake recipes ready for a true bake shop.

So, if you are enjoying a cupcake creation from our Tuesday night adventures, know that behind that delicious treat there is a lot of love, laughter, and care. There's more to that sugar, butter, and vanilla mix than just a well-crafted concoction. There's a whole lot of "sugar care" in that cupcake.

It's the Season for Daydreaming

The weather has slowly been getting better. The sun has been starting to show it's face earlier in the morning. I am finding daffodils and crocuses in my garden. And, most of all, it is starting to smell like Spring. As these changes start to happen around me, I start to daydream. Daydream about training and racing another marathon.

It is the season that long runs start to call to me and I get excited about what that may mean. The season to choose a race that is 9 months away and build a training schedule to get me there healthy and prepared. It also means it's the season:


*for hours spent on the road telling my right foot and left foot to alternate and move forward. A simple, repetitive tasks that requires minimal thought, a wonderful change from my everyday life.


*for perfecting the art of a balanced breakfast that can fuel a four hour run.


*for relishing the quiet running paths after running alongside a busy road.


*for eating GU packs once again (yikes!)


*for walking in the door, after hours on the road, starving and tired. Walking straight to the fridge and grabbing whatever might fight off the hunger so that I don't fall over.


*for planning on Friday night what I will wear on my long run only to have to change it at the last minute because it decided to snow on Saturday morning!


*for experiencing all different kinds of weather elements on one long run since I am out there for so long. Wind, rain, hail, sun, and even snow.


*for seeing the irony in life as a car pulls into the crosswalk I am in, quick enough for me to have to abruptly stop, and that car has a bumper sticker on it with the word "COEXIST".


* for having the "long run stink" waft up from my clothes around mile 12. Being able to say to my training partner, "Man, I stink!" 


*for feeling ecstatic that the run is going great.


*for tears of realization that there is still 10 miles to go and the tank is empty.


*for early morning trips in the dark to the start of the race.


*for running a race with the goal of getting to my support squad, my family, at the end as quickly as possible.


*for finding the perfect race and loving every minute of it.


*for finding the worst race and loving every minute of it!


*for thanking my body for being able to run 26.2 miles.

But this year my training season will be a bit different. This year, I will be logging many of my miles alone, without my training partner. For the past two years, we have prepared for 3 marathons and multiple half-marathons together. She is missing out on all the fun for good reason, her 2nd will be born in August.

And I will miss her greatly. Having someone understand the lure and the insanity of running 26.2 has been a tremendous gift. Knowing someone out there understands why I do what I do and finds equal joy in it. Knowing that there is someone out there who I can talk to for four hours straight to make the miles fly by. Who understands, with one look, that a particular long run is going to be aptly named, long. But, I know she will be back in action soon and willing to log the miles again with me.

So, here's to another great running season and new racing adventures. May I enjoy it as much as I did last year and may it be as good to me as it has been in the past. Now, if for some reason, this post has awakened a desire in you to join me on my next 14 miler, just let me know. I always welcome good company!

Stages of Yum!

A few weeks ago, my friend and I decided to get together once a week and create delectable cupcakes. We have been using the cookbook, The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum, and enjoying fantastic results. Our first concoction was a vanilla butter cake with maple buttercream frosting topped with bacon. Tasted just like French Toast in a cupcake liner! It was really good!

Vanilla Butter Cake with Maple Buttercream Frosting

Last night, we built our second concoction that proved to be even better than the first one. I took pictures along the way to share with you. Enjoy!

Stage One: An amazing banana cake filled with bittersweet chocolate ganache (I could have eaten them all just like this!). 

Stage Two: An amazing banana cake filled with bittersweet chocolate ganache topped with fluffy peanut butter frosting (just gets better and better!).

Stage Three:  An amazing banana cake filled with bittersweet chocolate ganache topped with fluffy peanut butter frosting and chocolate sprinkles (everything is better with sprinkles, right?).

Stage Four:  An amazing banana cake filled with bittersweet chocolate ganache topped with fluffy peanut butter frosting and chocolate sprinkles, cut in half (hungry yet?).

Stage Five: Gone! Gone! Gone!

Knocking on 40's Door...

I turn 39 this month. Something I can't believe and, yet, I can. Last night my littlest one said that in order for me to whistle I had to be 3. I think I have passed that milestone by a long shot, but good to know what age I need to be in order to whistle.

She told me this while we were at the local high school basketball game, hanging out with my hubby as he conducted the pep band. Being there, I saw many of my students I had when I taught 3rd grade. Those are always startling moments. When you see your students, who you had when they were 8, and they are Seniors now, taller than you are, and getting ready to head out into the world.

Although I can see 40 just down the road, it's doesn't seem like I am that age. Funny how we still feel a certain age on the inside. I seem to have stalled out at 31, the age when I had my first child. A good age, starting to get it all together, starting to get my passions in order. Family, running, church, teaching, and baking.

Once, when I was the mere age of 22 (Wow! Did I look young then!), someone asked me what my hobbies were. A moment of panic followed because I didn't have that part of my life in order. I probably had the deer in the headlight look on my face. Ever since that important question was put down on the table, I have made sure to have my hobbies/passion in order so if anyone asked me again, I could tell them quick, quick, quick.

I am not too afraid to be walking the path toward 40.  I keep promising myself I will not be too startled by the approaching age like I was when I turned 30. Right before I turned 30, I happened to listen to my messages on my phone and heard my voice. Talk about a moment of shock! Who was that person?? I had acquired, at some point along the way, such an adult voice.

When my birthday approaches this month, I will celebrate with gusto (think I will do chocolate fondue for dessert). I will keep in mind what someone once told me, that 40's were awesome because you finally had it all together, or somewhat close to it. I will embrace the fact that my body takes longer to heal after my long runs, that I am slightly wiser than I was when I was in my 30's, and those little lines gracing my face are from all the smiling and laughing that I do in my life.

Two Gifts

Today I received two gifts. Two gifts that changed my day, my thoughts, and my heart. My first gift came from my Bible study I participate in on Wednesday morning.  The gift came through the words I heard and took home with me:

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the wind blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-29

I hear these words and am thankful for the gift of my church congregation, for my Bible study group, and for the gift of hearing the Word that is building that foundation. Thankful for that foundation that is there for me at anytime in my life.

My second gift came from my husband who gave me the gift of time. The time to make a cake from start to finish, without stopping, without pausing, and to have time to create:

Butter Vanilla Cake with Rolled Fondant Icing 

Today, I am grateful for these gifts. Think back to your day. Did you receive any gifts today? Gifts that may not have appeared to be gifts at the moment, but when you look back, they are? I hope so, I truly hope so.